Graphics and top and base materials

Miller Studio · Post by **Miller Studio** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 8:13 am

I started the business in 1981 as Industrial Screenprint doing production runs of graphics for water and snow sports companies and bus advertising. In 1999, we joined forces with the Yoshida group when they were building the M3 brand and used the name Creative Edge. After the brand was sold, we continued to work with Yoshida's other water, snow and golf companies. Once they sold all interest in all sporting goods companies, we worked the company back fully in my hands by 2009. At that time, I created the dba name Miller Studio, to better encompass the screenprinting, digital printing and photography that we now do. Same people all those years...first location in Kent until 1995, then Auburn.

SkiTheNortheast · Post by **SkiTheNortheast** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 9:16 am

do you do graphic designing or only printing?

Miller Studio · Post by **Miller Studio** » Tue Feb 07, 2012 9:43 am

Our main focus has been producing products from supplied graphics. Most of the brands we work with have specific designs and looks ready to go. We have designed graphics, and we help many clients adjust their graphics so they work better. Typically, it will be cheaper to find someone to build your graphics from scratch for a negotiated flat fee. Paying anybody, including ourselves, an hourly shop rate can sometimes be more costly than you think.

twizzstyle · Post by **twizzstyle** » Wed Feb 08, 2012 6:05 pm

One more vouch for Vince, I picked up yet another top sheet this week and it looks amazing. Laying up two pairs tomorrow with tops from them.

Thanks Vince!

MontuckyMadman · Post by **MontuckyMadman** » Wed Feb 08, 2012 8:41 pm

Yeah that stuff is the bomb. Did a test layup and the iso clear nylon and had better bonding on the side i addtionally flame treated just prior to layup. Test test test.
stuff looks amazing. Hope you got lots on order vince. Thanks again for being avaible to us.

twizzstyle · Post by **twizzstyle** » Wed Feb 08, 2012 9:26 pm

MontuckyMadman wrote:Yeah that stuff is the bomb. Did a test layup and the iso clear nylon and had better bonding on the side i addtionally flame treated just prior to layup. Test test test.
stuff looks amazing. Hope you got lots on order vince. Thanks again for being avaible to us.

That was a little jumbled... But I think you told me to flame, so I will, good to know

. Excited to use the nylon!

Anvil · Post by **Anvil** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 3:22 pm

I got a few topsheets from these guys last week as well. The quality looks really good and im excited to layup a ski.

A quick question, you guys are saying you flamed the nylon topsheet prior to layup?

knightsofnii · Post by **knightsofnii** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 6:45 am

Vince did the tops and bases for 2007 production line and 2008 prototypes for a company I worked for. The graphic work was amazing, top quality product was delivered.

twizzstyle · Post by **twizzstyle** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 9:19 pm

Anvil wrote: A quick question, you guys are saying you flamed the nylon topsheet prior to layup?

I flamed the nylon on the two pairs I just did, had no bonding issues what so ever.

MBsnow · Post by **MBsnow** » Sun Feb 19, 2012 7:06 am

I purchased a roll of clear nylon from Vince about a year ago. I will never look back when it comes to nylon topsheet this stuff is light, durable, and readily available.

powbrewer · Post by **powbrewer** » Mon May 07, 2012 11:45 am

Another recommendation for Vince. We have ordered from a few different places over the last couple years and he has been amazing for quality and service.

Vince - Have you printed on Crown UHMW topsheets? If so, how do they turn out? Wanted to give those a try but wasn't sure if you were printing on them? -Bill

knightsofnii · Post by **knightsofnii** » Wed Jun 13, 2012 4:06 am

my $.02 about Crown's uhmw topsheet.

Its too strong

So?

ok, so laminates dont bond as strong as we think they do.
Crowns base... well it's the exact same pretty much, just thicker. Difference being, it's protected by the edge material which provides a barrier between the plastic and its environment, against delam shots.

Any topsheet is exposed and vulnerable to dings, chips, etc.

So, something happens: you hit a rock, or maybe the board woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and got a pin-hole delam on it. It lifts a pinch... now you have a tiny delam. OK no problem... this is where the "its too strong" comes into play.

It doesnt chip or peel. As it delams it pulls on its surrounding bonded material and lifts that off too... until the entire perimeter of your ski/board is delamed. The only way i've stopped it is to cut it where it starts delaming.

A coex pbt topsheet will chip and flake when it delams, its uglier but in a sense more durable. Sometimes less is more

Brazen · Post by **Brazen** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:41 pm

Crown reluctantly serves the needs of the builders as a whole.

rsotak · Post by **rsotak** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 5:46 am

So what is the functional difference between teh nylon with fleece and the nylon sanded as far as image quality and bonding. Also when you flame treat the nylon prior to layup does it effect the graphics at all?

Miller Studio · Post by **Miller Studio** » Tue Jul 24, 2012 7:08 am

rsotak wrote:So what is the functional difference between teh nylon with fleece and the nylon sanded as far as image quality and bonding. Also when you flame treat the nylon prior to layup does it effect the graphics at all?

On the graphics and reason for sanded vs fleece - The white nylons (sanded or fleeced) both sublimate equally as they are the same nylon. Almost all of my customers use the sanded because it's cheaper, and many say it uses less resin hence less weight etc. I did have a couple people...one I consider a major manufacturer and a home builder...that had bond problems. This accounts to less than a couple percent of all the white nylon tops I've done over the years. With every other customer calling it the best stuff ever, I felt the best option I could do for some is to bring in a roll with fleece. Partly to give them an option and more than once I have had discussions with people moving to nylon but stayed with pbt because they only had experience with that and fleece bonding and didn't want to experiment at that time.

On building with nylons - We do not build boards and because we work with so many people using so many techniques the best we can do is listen to them...their process...their needs..and show them the products available and educate them as to what has worked in the various industries or products. I will say over the years the only fails we have seen in fleeced product is lack of resin saturation. It's almost a fail safe and that is why so many people like pbt...plus it's the cheapest and most available product out there. As far as the sanded nylons...as near a home run as I've ever seen. It costs a bit more but so many people like the reduced weight, the feel of the product and the fact it doesn't chip like pbt. PBT does continue to be the staple for most snowboards, but not a single ski customer of mine uses pbt any more. I have seen the highest percentage of fails in the clear nylons. Built and designed correctly, I have seen great results from product we have printed including all the great looks you can get from pearls, metallics, flakes, florescents, top print effects and carbon or wood show-through giving results that are stunning. Of course many readers here cannot go through an expensive print process, but still I see great innovations and custom made product from people buying blank clear materials from us. The two things I have heard more than anything as possible culprits for nylon fails are not enough resin and/or too much pressure. Beyond that all I can say is test test test.

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Graphics and top and base materials